法苑珠林 72.28

72.28

答不必皆爾。且依人中命終者說。若地獄死還生地獄。不必頭下足上而行。若天中死還生天中。不必足下頭上而行。若地獄死生於人趣。應首上昇。若天中死生於人趣。應頭歸下。鬼及傍生二趣中有。隨所住處。如應當知。次依論問中有生時為有衣不。論答。色界中有一切有衣。以色界中慚愧增故。慚愧即是法身衣服。如彼法身具勝衣服。生身亦爾。故彼中有常與衣俱。欲界中有多分無衣。以欲界中多分無慚愧。唯除菩薩及白淨苾芻尼。所受中有。常有上妙衣服。有餘師說。菩薩中有亦無有衣。唯白淨尼等所受中有常與衣俱。問何緣菩薩中有無衣而白淨尼有衣。答白淨尼曾以衣服施四方僧。故彼中有常有衣服。問若爾菩薩於過去生。以妙衣服施四方僧。白淨尼等所施衣服。碎為微塵猶未為比。如何菩薩中有無衣。而彼有衣服。答由彼願力異菩薩故。謂白淨尼以衣奉施四方僧已。便發願言。願我生生常著衣服。乃至中有亦不露形。由彼願力所引發故。所生之處常豐衣服。彼最後身所受中有。常有衣服入母胎位。乃至出時衣不離體。如如彼身漸次增長。後出家受具戒已。轉成五衣。勤修正行。不久便證阿羅漢果。乃至後涅槃時。即以此衣纏身火葬。菩薩過去三無數劫。所修種種殊勝善行。皆為迴向無上菩提。利益安樂諸有情故。由斯行願。雖具相好。而無有衣。願力有殊不應為難。次依論問。在中有位資段食不。答色界中有不資段食。欲界中有必資段食。問欲界中有段食云何。有作是說。欲界中有。至有食處。便食彼食。至有水處。便飲彼水。由彼飲食以自存濟。此說非理。所以者何。中有極多。難周濟故。謂契經說。如從袋等瀉粳米等。置鐺鑊中數極稠密。五趣有情所受中有。散在處處數量過彼。若彼受用諸飲食者。一切世間所有飲食。唯供狗犬一類中有。尚不周濟。況餘中有。而可充足。又中有身既極微輕妙。受麁重食身應散壞。應作是說。中有食香。非食麁質。故無前過。謂有福者。歆饗清淨華果食等輕妙香氣。以自存活。若無福者。歆饗糞穢臭爛。食等輕細香氣。以自存活。又彼所食香氣極少。中有雖多而得周濟。

Answer: It is not necessarily so in every case. This is spoken provisionally on the basis of those who die among humans. If one dies in hell and is reborn again in hell, one does not necessarily travel with head down and feet up. If one dies among the devas and is reborn again among the devas, one does not necessarily travel with feet down and head up. If one dies in hell and is born into the human destiny, one should ascend head first; if one dies among the devas and is born into the human destiny, one should turn head downward. The intermediate existences of the two destinies of ghosts and animals should be understood accordingly according to where they abide. Next, relying on the śāstra, it is asked: When an intermediate existence is born, does it have clothing or not? The śāstra answers: All intermediate existences in the form realm have clothing, because in the form realm shame and conscience are abundant. Shame and conscience are indeed the clothing of the dharmakāya; just as that dharmakāya is endowed with superior clothing, the physical body is likewise, and therefore that intermediate existence is always accompanied by clothing. In the desire realm, intermediate existences mostly lack clothing, because in the desire realm shame and conscience are mostly absent. Only except for bodhisattvas and the nun Śuklā: the intermediate existences they take on are always endowed with superior and wondrous clothing. Other masters say: A bodhisattva's intermediate existence also lacks clothing; only the intermediate existence taken on by the nun Śuklā and others is always accompanied by clothing. Question: For what reason does a bodhisattva's intermediate existence lack clothing while the nun Śuklā has clothing? Answer: Because the nun Śuklā formerly gave clothing to the Saṃgha of the Four Quarters, her intermediate existence always has clothing. Question: If so, when the bodhisattva in past lives gave wondrous clothing to the Saṃgha of the Four Quarters, the clothing given by the nun Śuklā and others would not equal it even if pulverized into fine dust; how could the bodhisattva's intermediate existence lack clothing while hers has clothing? Answer: Because her vow-power was different from the bodhisattva's. That is, after the nun Śuklā offered clothing to the Saṃgha of the Four Quarters, she made the vow: 'May I, life after life, always wear clothing, even to the point that in intermediate existence my form will not be exposed.' Induced by the power of that vow, wherever she was born she was always abundantly provided with clothing. In her final body, the intermediate existence she received always had clothing when entering the position of the mother's womb, and even upon emerging the clothing did not leave her body. As that body gradually grew, later after leaving home and receiving the full precepts, it turned into the five robes; diligently cultivating correct practice, before long she realized the fruit of arhatship, up until her later nirvāṇa, when she was cremated with this very robe wrapped around her body. The bodhisattva, across three incalculable kalpas, cultivated all kinds of superior wholesome practices entirely to dedicate them to supreme bodhi for the sake of benefiting and bringing peace and happiness to all sentient beings. Due to these practices and vows, although endowed with the marks and signs, he lacks clothing. Since their vow-powers differed, one should not raise this objection. Next, relying on the śāstra, it is asked: Does one rely on material nutriment in the stage of intermediate existence? Answer: The intermediate existence of the form realm does not rely on material nutriment; the intermediate existence of the desire realm must rely on material nutriment. Question: What is the material nutriment of the intermediate existence of the desire realm? Some make this statement: An intermediate existence of the desire realm goes to a place where there is food and eats that food, and goes to a place where there is water and drinks that water, sustaining itself by means of that food and drink. This statement is unreasonable. Why is this? Because intermediate existences are extremely numerous, making it difficult to sustain them all. That is, as the sūtras say, like pouring non-glutinous rice from a sack into a cauldron, the number is extremely dense; the intermediate existences taken on by sentient beings of the five destinies, scattered in various places, exceed that number. If they were to consume all food and drink, all the food and drink in the entire world would not even suffice to sustain the intermediate existences of just the single category of dogs, much less could the remaining intermediate existences be filled to satisfaction! Furthermore, since the body of an intermediate existence is extremely subtle, light, and wondrous, if it were to receive coarse, heavy food, its body would disintegrate. It should be said: Intermediate existences feed on fragrance, not coarse matter; therefore, the previous flaw does not apply. That is, those with merit enjoy the light and subtle fragrances of pure flowers, fruits, food, and the like to sustain their lives; those without merit enjoy the light and subtle odors of excrement, foulness, and decay to sustain their lives. Furthermore, the fragrance they consume is extremely slight, so although intermediate existences are numerous, they can all be sustained.